Proteomic profiling unveils citral modulating expression of IsaA, CodY and SaeS to inhibit biofilm and virulence in Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the dangerous human pathogens and it is catego-rized as a high priority multi-drug resistant bacterium by WHO. Biofilm forming ability of MRSA is responsible for persistent infections and also difficult to eradicate using antibiotic therapy as biofilm is much more resistant to antibiotics. Thus, targeting biofilm and virulence has become an alternative approach to attenuate the patho-genicity of bacterium without affecting the growth. Hence, the present study was aimed at evaluation of antibiofilm potential of citral against MRSA and to decode the possible mode of action. Citral inhibited biofilm for-mation by MRSA without affecting growth at 100 mu g/mL. Microscopic analyses evidenced that citral greatly ham-pered the surface adherence of MRSA. Effect of citral on cellular proteome of MRSA was studied using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DGE) and differentially regulated proteins were identified using nano LC-MS/MS and MALDI-TOF/TOF analysis. Gene ontology and STRING analysis revealed that citral differentially regu-lated the proteins involved in pleotropic transcriptional repression (CodY), cell wall homeostasis (IsaA), regula-tion of exotoxin secretion (SaeS), cell adhesion, hemolysis, capsular polysaccharide biosynthesis and pathogenesis. Gene expression analysis and in vitro assays further validated the alteration in synthesis of slime, hemolysin, lipase, staphyloxanthin and oxidant susceptibility. Thus, the present study unveiled the multi-ple protein targeted antibiofilm potential of citral and portrays citral as a promising therapeutic agent to combat biofilm mediated MRSA infections with less possibility of resistance development. (C) 2020 Published by Elsevier B.V.